I am outraged by the letter from Dr. Mathieu Brouillet published on May 30, which amalgamates medical assistance in dying and suicide (“Du suicide assisted”, The duty). MAID is a treatment that allows a person to put an end to their suffering when medicine is powerless to relieve it. To qualify, a careful assessment is made.
I would have appreciated that the Dr Brouillet mentions his solutions to restore hope when there hasn’t been any for a long time. His solutions, as an alternative to abandonment, are probably chemical, giving false hope and turning people into zombies. I have great admiration for physicians who provide MAID with humanity and compassion.
I have lived for 25 years with a progressive form of multiple sclerosis. Over time, we both tamed each other. I hope I never have to resort to MAID, because that would mean that I would be in a deplorable state. I would then like to be well surrounded and supported by a dedicated multidisciplinary team determined to respect my last wishes. I dare not imagine what the Dr Brouillet could offer me.
What to say to a suffering person who, after a long struggle and many setbacks, exhausted, has felt moral distress set in permanently? A deep distress to the soul. What to do in front of this person, if not listen to his request and respect it? Words lose their meaning, bewildered by insolence. Life has long since fled. This person claims our humanity.
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